Annotated sources

‘Charlie Is So Cool Like’: Authenticity, Popularity and Inclusive Masculinity on YouTube

• Inclusive masculinities are central to popularity for male youth on YouTube
• It is the display of authenticity and inclusive masculinity which has made these young men so popular on YouTube

The Morris and Anderson article challenges the traditional dominance of the anti-gay, anti-feminine model of masculinity in youth cultures. Here, contrary to traditional communities of “homohysteric” masculinity, vloggers on YouTube are able to amass huge followings of millions of subscribers by embracing authenticity and inclusive masculinity. Although this will not be the main thesis of my study, the popularity of “softer, gay-friendly, feminist-oriented masculinities” instead shows how vlogs are a defining characteristic of the millennial generation. It also provides another example how vlogs continue to change typical societal norms, in this case redefining what is “cool” and “popular” in the youth culture regarding gender and sexuality, which is more in line with where I want to take the paper (showing how vlogs are fundamentally changing lots of areas).

 

Crying on YouTube: Vlogs, self-exposure and the productivity of negative affect

• Social media is a medium that is thought to be only positive, happy, idealistic – “as private life and emotional interaction move increasingly online, it is worth asking, where do the negative feelings go?
• Vlogs can disrupt this rule of positivity by engaging with or displaying negative affect in the form of anxiety, distress, and emotional vulnerability
• However, content does not have to be only positive to support the “attention economy”
• Draws on Hardt’s theory of affective labor, that the production of these YouTubers is immaterial and focused on human contact and interaction
• The informality of crying and anxiety vlogs “work” because they are displaying true unhappiness and raw emotional damage prioritizing self-expression over self-presentation

The article on crying and anxiety vlogs by Berryman and Kavka discusses how vlogs have the potential to target difficult topics such as teen emotionality and mental health. Although they also conclude that there is a certain “catch-22” with these vlogs, where YouTube and social media are both their “poison” and “remedy” for emotional stability, it suggests that overall understandings of mental health are changing. To me, it can support the idea that vlogs are fundamentally changing the social order for millennials. Much like Morris and Anderson’s article on vlogs reshaping of masculinity and what it takes to be “cool” they are also reshaping the acceptance and tolerance of discussion around unhappiness. In my opinion, this article supports a broader thesis that the vlog is having a remarkable impact on how millennials navigate the world.

 

The authenticity of social-media performance: Lonelygirl15 and the amateur brand of Young-Girlhood

• There are increasing economic incentives for a certain identity production and performance on YouTube
• “lonelygirl15” was the first big YouTube star, but people questioned whether her series was legitimate or fabricated
  • Turned out to be a hoax of acting
  • Fascinating commentary on authenticity and performance
• Does the fact that it was a performance change how meaningful the message is?
• Focus is not on individual authenticity, but how authenticity is requiredfor social-media performances
• Another example, Sadie Benning, received harsh criticism when it was found out that her award-winning vlogs were circulated by her father, an avant-garde filmmaker
• The economic success of vlogs is reliant on the audience, fueled by performances
  • In their statement after the scandal, the producers of “lonleygirl15” said, “we aren’t a big corporation. We are just like you”

The article on “lonelygirl15” has led me to rethink how I want to focus my project. This is what interests me most and will be a valuable piece to reference throughout – are vlogs performances or are they fake? Are they simply another piece of entertainment or do they have the ability to tear down stigmas and make social progress? Are those two mutually exclusive? When it was revealed that her YouTube series was a hoax, the account faced backlash and a drop in viewers. The same happened to vlogger Sadie Benning, whose vlogs were taken less seriously when it was discovered her dad, an avant-garde filmmaker, had helped her circulate her videos. Clearly, authenticity and amateurism go hand-in-hand with popular with regards to vlogging. But, that being said, a content creator can still fake authenticity, such as (maybe) the vloggers who openly cry and discuss mental health in their videos. Hall concludes by writing, “Contemporary vloggers…utilize the same amateur aesthetic to create personas that exceed the definition of reality and fiction, and blend the two in the performance of a highly consumable personal brand.”

 

Social Media Freaks: Digital Identity in the Network Society

• An online identity is inherently not one’s true identity
• It is filtered and deliberately tweaked to elicit a certain audience and deliver a certain message
  • The same is true for vloggers – it is unlikely that a content creator uses everypiece of information from their day, they have to make decisions on what to and not to include, what they want to discuss directly atthe camera, etc.
  • These are likely deliberate and suggest a blending of cynical and sincere performances, even if intending to seem amateur and authentic for more views/money
• Offers a guide on how to form your online or social media identity

Since I have shifted my focus from all the good that can come out of vlogs to ideas of authenticity, I will not be able to use Kidd’s book as much. However, his guide to social media in the final chapter offers very interesting points that I can use when considering performances in vlogs and on YouTube. The fact that he writes a section called “choose your identity” supports the blending of “reality” and “fiction” as described by Hall. He lists ways in which one can tweak their online presence and followers to be based on content or personality. From here, you can intentionally decide your primary audience – by doing this, you are automatically filtering your true self. He even says, “Your social media identity is not the online equivalent of your actual self.” This is useful when introducing the idea of “cynical” and “sincere” performances that will drive my research question asking which is more authentic. Also, though no longer my primary focus, I’m sure I will want to discuss the positive impacts of vlogs. Here, the book is loaded with information on how social media impacts gender, race, disability, class, etc.

 

Popularity markers on YouTube’s attention economy: the case of Bubzbeauty

• Article gets at why performing in a way that leads to large viewership/subscribers is desirable: the attention economy
• Online status, via social media-based metrics, is now quantified
  • The more people who watch you the more visible and able to command an audience you are
  • This builds your “brand” online
• These metrics reinforce the status of the recipient – “public stamp of approval” (233)
• Popularity leads to more popularity and visibility
• Subscribers:
  • The more of them one has demonstrates more value to advertisers
  • Show that the content is not just a one-time, viral video – shows authenticityto the advertisers who will be willing to pay for it
• Reveals that relational and emotional videos involving vulnerability and ones that connect to the audience leads to the most subscribers
  • Despite videos on other, random content having the most views, they are less valuable to the content creator

This article gives me important background on why people may intentionally undertake sincere or cynical performances. Whereas the other articles unpack how, this article is more concerned with whyspecifically on YouTube. The answer is subscribers. The more subscribers you have as a vlogger, the more authentic you become and you receive a certain “stamp of approval.” Additionally, more subscribers show advertisers that your content is strong and you are worth paying for ad space. Subscribers show a long-term community that will watch each video instead of fleeting, random viewers that may stumble upon a viral video. Subscribers are key, and the best way to get them, as shown, is through videos that connect with the audience personally: emotional vlogs, vulnerable vlogs, tears, etc. For this reason, a strong performance can lead to serious dollars for a content creator. If one can master the art of putting on seemingly sincere performances on hard-to-discuss issues, it will likely translate to more subscribers. This article will play an important role in my overall discussion and understanding of authenticity and performance in vlogs.

 

The tragedy of self in digitised popular culture: the existential consequences of digital fame on YouTube

• There becomes a disillusionment for these content creators, as they must think “like an algorithm” so they can achieve the most subscribers
  • Because their subscribers are likely brought to the video by YouTube’s algorithms in the first place, creators must title their videos and include content that will appeal to these algorithms
• The performance is not even to build the community of human beings in this case, but to satisfy the YouTube algorithms

Though largely a weird comparison between vlogs and romantic heroes and tragedies, there was a main piece of information that I can take away from this piece. Through content analysis on three large, U.K. based vloggers, Smith uncovered the disillusionment felt by contemporary content creators. Because suggested videos and views are driven in large part by YouTube’s algorithms (they try and guess what you will want to watch), vloggers have to shift their performances. However, these performances must be geared towards what they think the algorithms will want instead of the viewer themselves. In essence, a vlogger will consciously title their video with the hopes that it is picked up by the algorithms and dropped into more visitors’ “suggested videos” area on the home screen. This would then, likely, lead to more views and subscribers. I found it to be an interesting comment on performance – not only are they performing to generate the feeling of authenticity, they are also attempting to please the algorithms that vet their videos. In total, I can use this argument to support my questions on sincere and cynical performances, because, clearly, there are deliberate decisions being made with regards to video content and titling to elicit more subscribers.

 

Art As Collective Action

• An artist depends on their audience and thus must appeal to conventional forms of authentic art if they want their work to be widely appreciated
• This acts as a constraint for the artist, preventing innovation while making their work easier
  • To be popular, they must follow artistic conventions
  • Innovations come when an artist can assemble these conventions in alternate ways
• Because the artist, or content creator, depends on the cooperation of other members and their audience, they accept these constraints
  • I think of it as making “cookie cutter” art, that ticks off all the necessary boxes to be considered legitimate and gain a serious following
  • Without doing these things, it is unlikely that you will generate an entirely new type of art
• Conventions dictate everything – in music, it is the scales and harmonies, in vlogs it seems to me like it is editing techniques and content discussed
  • All successful vloggers use a variety of flashy editing techniques, music, etc.
  • Their content is part fun and lighthearted, but also alwaysmixes in serious, one-on-one discussion with the camera on more serious topics and their opinions on them

This piece will be fundamental in driving the content of my own vlog. Because my video will be unscripted, this provides some necessary structure to follow. In watching vlogs on YouTube beforehand, I noted a few conventions that all of these “successful” or “authentic” content creators use. As mentioned above, they include cinematic transitions, music, and a very specific type of discussion/content. Following Becker’s idea of artistic conventions, I will try to follow these in my own video. In essence, I will be “playing by the rules” and emulate these strategies. In doing so, I hope to make my video seem more authentic. Again, this comments on the performative nature of vlogging. Although one wants to portray themselves as entirely raw, uncut, and authentic, they must still follow these conventions if they hope to acquire a following. That, in and of itself, acknowledges that there is a necessary performance that these individuals must follow. I will try to reproduce, to the best of my ability, some of these artistic conventions.

 

Performances (Erving Goffman)

• People are actors on a “social stage” and create impressions of themselves that benefit a given audience and themselves
  • Some of these performances may be “sincere,” where individuals truly believe their act is an expression of their own identity and want others to believe it, too
  • Some are “cynical,” where individuals act a certain way to achieve a desired outcome, either for self-gain or the benefit of the people around them
• We have back-stage areas where we can drop these front-stage, stressful performances that can be easily disturbed and falter
  • In these areas, we are closer to our true-selves and live without acting or performing

This piece is the theoretical groundwork for my project. What I find most interesting is, among other things, that vlogs are supposed to be glimpses into the “back-stage” of our lives. A vlog is usually unscripted and is supposed to be informal – in fact, this makes them more “authentic.” But, in the case of vlogs, these back-stage areas are in fact the front-stage. Content creators are overly performing their day-to-day life, featuring some aspects while leaving out others, to gain viewership, subscribers, and authenticity. Goffman’s theory on cynical performers is critical to my project. These vloggers mustperform a certain way (even if that way is to seemingly not perform) in order to receive more authenticity. Their performances are cynical, as such performances form a community for others to enjoy, as well as bringing themselves subscribers and thus revenue. They must follow the artistic conventions mentioned above, it just so happens that artistic conventions in this case are supposed to be casual and informal.

 

Discipline and Punish

• Discussion of the panopticon as a disciplinary tactic that allows one to observe and influence the behavior of all
• Society has moved from the plague to the panopticon demonstrating a shift to a society based on observation and examination
  • This is not visible but is omnipresent

Though I am not sure I will discuss surveillance and discipline in my project, the rise of vlogs serves as a good example of this. The vlog, characterized by a glimpse into the personal and back-stage performances of an individual, rely on getting up close and personal with the content creator. When considering the sociology of the Millennial, vlogs show how these old, seemingly antiquated theories are very much alive in our lives today. Surveillance is now more in-depth than it ever has been as vloggers must show things such as their bedrooms, family, living environments, etc. in order to gain authenticity. In doing so, they are only increasing the panoptic theory as discussed by Jeremy Bentham.

 

‘MY HAIR IS GONE.’ (Vlog by Casey Neistat)

• Regular vlog created by Casey Neistat, thought of as the original “inventor” of the vlog
• Roughly 10 million subscribers, almost all other vlogs use his type of creative camera work and music

 

Casey Neistat is a YouTube vlogger that has amassed nearly 10 million subscribers. As far as American vloggers go, he is at the top. For this reason, I’m using his videos to identify the “artistic conventions” of the vlogger that I can use in my own video. This video in particular exemplifies the “classic” vlog to me. The title itself is remarkably plain, and the video features Casey on a day that he gets a haircut. However, flashy camera work and music provide a cinematic experience to the viewer, and he augments his regular activities (running, errands, eating, etc.) with more serious one-on-one discussions with the camera. One example of such comes when he discusses his “three pillars of health” that revolve around healthy eating and exercise. This type of serious conversation is immersed in completely average activities. This is the platform that I will adopt when thinking about my own video. Also, this comments on performance in vlogs as well – in your average day, it is unlikely that you would have a serious talk with yourself on personal health. However, in doing so, Casey is able to manufacture a type of authenticity and present himself in a way that seems appealing for viewers.